Our Sites

How "Bob's Burgers" Topped "The Simpsons" for Animated Dominance

For the better part of two decades, The Simpsons has cornered the market on animated families. Unlike most cartoons on the air, the show focuses on everyday issues like money woes, marital discourse, and religion. However, in the past few years The Simpsons has depended more and more on ludicrous plots and unbelievable humor, leaving fans yearning for a return to form. Then in 2011, Fox premiered Bob’s Burgers, and fans of animation finally had something fresh (and weirdly relatable) to look forward to on Sundays again.

In the three years since its premiere, Bob's Burgers, created by Loren Bouchard of the sardonic and great Home Movies, has served as a reminder of what used to make The Simpsons work so well. The humor, the heart, and the characters come together for the type of familial discourse that so many great TV shows are built upon. While there are plenty of lesser comedies out there that get more of the press, the truth is that Bob’s Burgers is easily one of the funniest shows on TV. And you probably aren't watching it. (Unless you are—in which case, props.)

For those of you who haven’t taken a bite out of the meaty deliciousness of this show, here's How Bob's Burgers Topped The Simpsons for Animated Dominance.

The Belcher family is like your own, just more crudely drawn.

Bob is a hopeless restaurateur trying to get his family through the lower-middle class doldrums.

His wife Linda works alongside him at the family burger joint and is fighting a losing battle trying to be hip.

Their oldest daughter, Tina, has two obsessions: ponies and butts.

The middle child, Gene, spends most of his time dressed as a hamburger spouting absurd one-liners.

Their youngest daughter, Louise, is a manipulative, pint-sized sociopath.

Their lives don’t depend on crude jokes or juvenile humor to make us laugh (although they have plenty).